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Noah Lyles' Hardest Track & Field Decision
Oct 21, 2024 | Edition #40
👋 Hey, Speedsters!
During his break from the track, Noah Lyles not only wrote a new chapter in his love story but became a familiar face on celluloid. Within a week of SPRINT 2's trailer release, another series featuring him has now aired its final episode. PS: This is where the chinks in his armor show as Lyles reveals the costs associated with being in the limelight.
Today, we’ll also transport you back to the roots of high jump— the day and the person responsible for the 'Fosbury Flop,' which is the sport's most famous 'upside-down' leap technique. Until we finally open the floor for discussion on Parker Valby's remarkable signup with New Balance that saw her turning her back on Nike, her first NIL brand ever!
📜 QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I maintained my edge by always being a student; you will always have something new to learn.”
— Jackie Joyner-Kersee
In today’s newsletter, we’ll uncover these top stories from Track & Field universe:
😢 Noah Lyles’ Take on Harsh Reality of TnF
🫡 Revolutionary High Jump Move!
💪🏻 Laventa Amutavi Breaking Gender Barriers
👀 NCAA Star’s Selects Nike’s Rival Brand!
📈Trending News
Noah Lyles Exposes the Hidden Cost of Fame
Noah Lyles loves a little candid chatter. Usually, "The Unseen Journey" series on YouTube provides him with room for just that. But, the final episode— The Fastest Man in The World aired recently, doles out much more. Apart from the BTS clips of his historic 2024 events— the NYC Grand Prix, the U.S. Olympic Trials, and the Paris Games, it also gives out a piece of Lyles' mind, mainly the price that he pays for his fame. But why has he chosen to put that on display?
Per Lyles, he made this choice because he wanted people to see ‘everything.’ He believes that someday when he stands atop the podium, people may underestimate his effort. That's why he wishes for them to watch how he got there and realize, there's more than what meets the eye! He believes being an athlete is like a coin, one side is what the TV shows—the glitz and glamor, medals, etc., and the other is the reality—the hard work and sacrifices. Thus, he wishes to recreate the narrative, wherein people not only perceive him as just a track runner, but a human with love and passion, good and hard times, and high and low days.
Lyles has always been vocal about criticism from Americans. Despite his exemplary performances at these events, fans noted his demeanor in Sprint 1 as brash and unlikeable. His comments about the NBA had drawn in a lot of criticism too. Thus, Lyles opened up on being shocked by the ‘toxicity from his own’ and took a break from X before Paris, for it was "too negative."
But the saga continued when his confessions about Junelle sharing gossip from the Jamaican tent triggered reactions. His appearance at the 200m finals in Paris with Covid (posing a health risk) got intense backlash. Thus, via this series, Lyles wants people to know the untold truth.
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📊 POLL OF THE DAY
Hey, sports fans! Let's test your high jump knowledge today. When athletes clear the bar in high jump, they use a well-known technique. So, here's today's trivia:
What Is the Name of the Technique Used by High Jumpers To Clear the Bar Headfirst and Backwards? |
Last Poll’s Result: In our last edition we asked: Who Was the First Athlete To Win 100m & 200m Olympic Gold in the Same Year? Our poll revealed that Jesse Owens snagged a whopping 72% of the votes, leaving Carl Lewis (15%), Flo Jo (10%), and Wilma Rudolph (3%) in the dust. But hold onto your hats, folks! The real MVP is Archie Hahn, who pulled off this historic double in the 1904 Olympics!
🎉 TnF Milestones
From Criticism to Gold: Fosbury’s High Jump Legacy
The Olympic Games recently reminded us that till 56 years ago, the sport of high jump was a world apart. Until then, it had been 72 years since athletes were using the 'scissors' technique, which involved jumping in an upright position (with one leg crossing the bar first, followed by the body). Or, the western roll and straddle jump, techniques that were heavily backed by the Americans. But, the Mexico Olympics became a turning point.
On October 20, 1968, an athlete named Dick Fosbury left the world in awe with his out-of-the-box innovation. Knowing he would have no answer to the competitors with the hackneyed techniques, Fosbury decided to reinvent his jump and introduced to the world the 'Fosbury Flop.' Instead of jumping face-front, he would take a leap off the wrong foot, twist his back in an arch, and dive over the bar backward. Initially, this was met with heavy criticism. The coaches, media, and fellow competitors were furious, calling him the 'Worlds laziest high jumper.' But, when he won the Olympic gold with a record 2.24m leap, it was the perfect clapback!
And once he succeeded, others followed. By the 1972 Munich Games, 28 out of 40 high jumpers were using the Fosbury flop, which to date is a conventional technique, and has been ever since the 'straddle' faded in thin air. In fact, Dick Fosbury, who passed last year, had himself been shocked at how his invention quickly took over as a universal standard. While some might say it took 7 long decades to bring this ground-breaking change, it couldn't have been at a better time. Before the 1960s, foam mattresses weren't used in the sport. And athletes landing on the plain ground with the Flop was practically impossible!
📽️ Video Vault
Inspiring Best of Both Worlds!
Motherhood became her strength, not weakness! Rolling prams on the track and rocking her baby to silence in the gym, here’s how Femita Ayanbeku, a Paralympic athlete balanced training with childbirth. Being tired wasn’t an option for this new mommy who slays being a mother and a professional athlete every day of her life. Watch the inspiring story of the She-ro: Femita Ayanbeku!
🏅Beyond the Medals
Ferdinand Omanyala's Wife Redefining Gender Norms in Track
Until now, Laventa Amutavi, Ferdinand Omanyala's wife, was seen as the silent force who supported him financially during his financial struggles in 2017. She paid for his bills, rent, and food, redefining the stereotype that wives cannot be the providers in the house. But today, we also learn about her strong advocacy for women in sports. When she recently voiced her thoughts against gender norms in sports, the tremors were powerful enough to shake up track and field.
Speaking to Hey Mama Africa, Amutavi rejected the idea of female athletes having to quit competing when they get married. She exposed how most parents, especially in African culture, advise married women athletes on the need to nurture families and bring up children over career, "They are always like once you get married, then you have to stop running." But Amutavi suggests otherwise. She strongly vouches for the need for equal opportunities for women as men, even after getting married or having children.
Indeed, balancing marriage, childbirth, and societal expectations were once impediments to women's athletic careers. So much so that Nike Runner Phoebe Wright said in 2019, "Getting pregnant is the kiss of death for a female athlete," concealing her pregnancy from her sponsor out of fear of losing the deal. But today, women are defying the odds. Elite athletics after marriage does not seem a barrier for athletes like Tara Davis Woodhall and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, as their families and husbands support their careers out and out. We also have supermoms who are redefining the time-worn narrative. Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, the ‘mommy rocket,’ became the first mother to win a 100m World Championships title, within 2 years of giving birth. So did Faith Kipyegon, who delivered her baby in 2018 and became the Tokyo Olympics 1500m champion in 2021!
🏃🏻➡️ NCAA News
NCAA Sensation Shakes Up the Game
Week after week, young talents are stirring up a buzz in track town, and this time, it's Parker Valby—a former Florida Gator who has just signed a professional contract with New Balance. As a result, her new training base will be with Team New Balance in Boston, under coach Mark Coogan. But what's most surprising is that this collaboration comes at the cost of declining Nike, the same brand that helped her become the first track and field collegiate female to sign a NIL deal.
When Nike's right-of-first-refusal clause expired after her final race for the Gators, she was open to negotiating possibilities with others. Ever since Parker and her father, Kyle weighed different options, delaying the pro contract announcement by months. Per them, Nike, On, and Puma, were among the many interested in signing her. Well, why not? She is a 6 time NCAA champion, an Olympian at 22, and a double NCAA record holder, setting her market value at an all-time high. However, Parker justified that her gut said that New Balance felt right. Although, this now makes her the first distance runner to break away from her prior brand for a pro contract.
A few factors here are notable. It shows how brands are gravitating towards scouting young talent. Especially, New Balance, a brand that made a splash when it signed Quincy Wilson for the NIL roster at just 15. It’s also interesting that although NB is a smaller firm than Nike and has fewer pro athletes, they have big names like Sydney McLaughlin and Gabby Thomas. And now, they capitalize on Valby's collegiate popularity. Thus, we can see how college athletics has become a huge market for such giants. Particularly, as women's sports partnerships and merchandising sales are expected to generate $696M in 2024!
📝 HIGHLIGHTED STORIES!
Gabby Thomas Fangirl Over Lewis Hamilton at US GP- Full Story
Noah Lyles’ Mothers’ Special Message For Son- Full Story
Noah Lyles’ Girlfriend Junelle Bromfield Finds Support From Jamaica After Engagement- Full Story
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Feels Inspired and Ready for the Next Step in Life - Full Story
That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!
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